Hope
by Anneko
Summary: AU, OishiEiji Oishi Syuuichirou used to live locked at home by his parents, watching the outside world through the window. Then Syuuichirou started receiving visits from a certain boy...


Well, I think this is my best fic ever (so far, at least), so I had to post it.

Disclaimer: No, Prince of Tennis still doesn't belong to me and yes, it still belongs to Konomi-sensei.

Without anything else to add right now, I hope you like it. Here's "Hope".

--

The sun shone through the windows, dimly lighting the hallway in that big mansion. The dusty curtains filtered the bright light, making the old wood seem older and dirtier.

Young Syuuichirou's footsteps filled the room as the boy walked back from his room. That's where he spent most of his time, looking out the window or reading one of the many books in that big old house.

The place awoke a certain fascination in the town's people ever since the Oishi family had moved in. Syuuichirou was a baby then, but the whole town remembered watching them arrive in their fancy car. The father, a man in his forties, stepped out of the vehicle first, with his neatly groomed brown hair and blue eyes adorned by glasses. Then he opened the door for his wife, a thirty-one years old woman, with black hair cascading down to her waist in curls, her green eyes shining while she smiled at her husband and held their baby close to her chest. She looked like a model, and he was pretty handsome too. And the baby, ohh, the little boy was adorable!

A few years later, though, there were rumour of an accident, and the Oishi family was never seen outside again. The garden and house, always kept so neat and beautiful, started to deteriorate. Now the house looked old, abandoned, and almost haunted. The town's people only saw their maid going shopping for them, but even she disappeared inside that mysterious house for most time, and never talked to anyone when she got out. The little boy never attended school, though most kids knew there was a young boy in that house, and wondered about him. Most of them said he was a ghost.

He just sat and sighed, looking out his bedroom window, watching them go by. They all looked so happy, chatting with their friends, without a care in the world. Sometimes they'd stop and stare at the house, and Oishi knew they saw him. He waved at them, but they never waved back. Some of them just looked away, most simply ran away. No, living constantly caged in that house wasn't the best for Oishi. His short raven hair contrasted with his very pale skin, making him look even paler, almost like a living corpse. The beautiful green eyes he got from his mother, though, had an intense shine to them, like a spark of life in that skinny, unhealthy body of his. It was the same kind of shine his mother's eyed had when they first arrived there. But unlike hers, his never lost that light. And even though he was only seven, he didn't feel the innocence and purity a seven-year-old boy should feel.

His parents looked even more like corpses than he did, though. At least he caught as much sun as he could from the windows. His parents seem to avoid them altogether. His mother's hair was now oily and messy. Her eyes were a darker shade of green, and they didn't shine anymore. His father was a mess too, his glasses now too big for that bony face. He didn't like being with them, it made him feel depressed. That day, though, he felt a need to talk to them. So he walked into the living room, where they spent most their days. His father was reading the newspaper, as usual, and his mother was sewing.

"Mommy...Daddy..." He timidly called, watching their heads turn to him.

"What is it, Syuuichirou?" His mother asked, her voice coarse, like she was dragging every word out from deep inside her. He looked to his feet: he had been thinking about it for so long, now he had finally gotten the courage to speak.

"Why can't I go outside? I'm tired of being here. I want to go meet the other kids and play with them!" He announced, though his voice came out harsher than he expected. His parents exchanged glances before his mother slowly got up and walked over to him.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Syuuichirou, dear... We've told you before."

"But why, mom? I don't understand!" Oishi pleaded, looking at his mother's eyes. She got up and led him back to his room, on the third floor, sitting on the bed with him on her lap.

"We've told you before..." She repeated. "You've had an accident some time ago. It took away most of your memories, and made you a very fragile boy. And it's made your father and me fragile too. We just want to protect you. That's why we can't let you out. There's no safe place for you out there. The only place where you're truly safe is here, where we can look after you." She explained as he leaned against her chest, closing his eyes. The answer had been the same as before. And it still wasn't nearly enough. But Oishi was a good boy, and didn't want to upset his mother. So he agreed, and told her he wanted to take a nap and rest.

She left him alone, and he sat on the windowsill, watching the sunset through the roofs of nearby homes. Somewhere a church bell was ringing, its sound echoing throughout the town, marking eight o'clock. He felt the last rays of sun on his skin before it disappeared completely. It made him feel alive, little things like that. It was a bit of the outside world nobody could deny him.

--

The rest of the previous day had gone by uneventfully. Oishi had stayed in his room most of the time, only coming out to have dinner with his parents, and went back to watch the moon and sleep. Living was like a routine to little Oishi now, always repeating the same things day after day after day. Getting up, breakfast, read, watch other kids, dinner, going to bed. The same thing over and over again.

A faraway bell marked the beginning of the school year, and unlike most kids, Oishi would've given anything to be at school. But, as usual, he was sitting on the windowsill, with his feet on the roof that separated the third floor from the second and a book in his hands. The third floor only had his bedroom, a small bathroom, and a hallway that lead to the stairs to the lower floors, so it was slightly smaller than the other floors. Oishi liked that fact because it allowed him to climb through his window and sit on the roof. It was nice to do that on sunny days, and his skin gained a healthy tone when he did that.

But the summer had ended, and the leaves on the trees around were now turning red. There was still a summery breeze in the air, though, and the days were still warm. The hours went by, and Oishi watched the kids walk by on their way back home. He saw a group of kids he'd already seen last year. He had grown used to the faces by then. Leading the group was a boy with glasses and brown hair, and walking next to him was a kid with light brown hair who looked almost like a girl. Behind them walked a tall boy with sideburns and a shy expression, followed by the youngest in the group, a boy wearing a cap and sipping a Ponta. The one with the spiky hair was still bickering with the bandana-clad one, just like last year. After them walked a kid with spiky raven hair and glasses, writing something down on a notebook.

Closing the group, though, was a boy Oishi had never seen before, so he thought he was new in town. He looked like a seven year old like him. His hair was red, and there was a tiny bandage on his face. He was grinning at the group ahead of him, thinking they were very funny. When they walked past the house, though, the last two boys stopped to stare. The redhead said something to the others, and they kept going, even the one that had stopped too. It didn't take long for him to find Oishi and stare at him. Oishi got a bit uncomfortable, since he didn't like the feeling of being watched, but waved at the boy. He expected the boy to run after the others, but he didn't. He smiled and waved back at him. Then he joined the others.

Oishi didn't know who this boy was. But he wanted to. Because, for once, someone had actually acknowledged his presence.

--

The days passed, he kept seeing the boy. He always came with the others. Oishi thought they were the school's tennis team, since all of them brought rackets along, and some of them were showing off their moves. They all looked so happy... Oishi wanted to join them, but he knew he couldn't. So he just waved at the redhead, the one who always waved back at him. And he felt happy too. For a moment, he had a friend. Even though he didn't know his name.

One night, though, it was very hot. Poor little Syuuichirou kept tossing and turning in his bed, sweating and not being able to sleep at all. He got up and opened the window, which he didn't like to do at night, but he really couldn't take the heat any longer. He made his way to the bathroom to wash his face, looking at the reflection in the mirror.

The moonlight through the window lit the bathroom enough for him to see his green eyes staring back at him. His hair was messy and his face was soaked in sweat. He closed his eyes and rand his wet hands through his features, the coolness of the water calming him down a bit. He repeated that gesture three or four times, enough for him to feel better. Then he walked back to his bedroom, to find someone sitting on his bed. The light outside wasn't enough for him to make out who it was. But it didn't look at all like one of his parents.

"Hey! I was wondering where you'd gone off to!" The figure said, getting up and walking towards the window. When the moon beams cast down on the person, Oishi finally realized who it was.

"Y-you! You're that kid! The one that waves back at me!" He said, pointing at the young redhead. "How'd you get here??"

"I saw you opening the window, so I climbed up the plants. Once I made it to the roof it was easy." He said, his hands behind his head. "I was curious about you. What's your name?" The redhead asked, smiling at him.

"O...Oishi... Oishi Syuuichirou..."

"Nice to meet you, Oishi-kun. I'm Kikumaru Eiji, nyaa!" He stated, taking the raven haired boy's hand on his own and shaking it.

"What're you doing here?"

"Like I said, I was curious. I always see you alone up here, I thought I'd drop by and keep you company. Why don't you go to school like everyone else?"

"My parents won't let me." Oishi explained, sitting back on his bed, only to be joined by Kikumaru soon after. "They say I'm sick, but I don't know the details... I've been here for as long as I can remember... Which isn't much, since I lost my memory..."

"You don't remember anything?"

"No. Mommy says I was in an accident that erased my memory, and that's why I can't go outside."

"That must suck!"

"Tell me about it..."

"Don't worry, though, you're not missing much. School's boring anyway. We always have to sit there while the teacher talks about stuff."

"Tell me something, though... What's it like, living outside?" Kikumaru wasn't expecting this kind of question, but he figured Oishi had as many questions about his world as he had about Oishi's world. For Eiji, it was only a home. For Oishi, it was a prison, keeping him caged away from the others.

"Except for school, and doing chores, it's nice. You meet a lot of people." Oishi sat up all night, listening to the other boy's conversation about the world beyond his home. His fascination grew at every word he said. Through Kikumaru's eyes, the world was a wonderful place where children could play and grow with their friends, while their parents talked about grown up stuff and watched over them. All in all, Oishi could tell how much Kikumaru loved his world.

When the first rays of sun started to shine through the sky, Kikumaru got up, saying he had to leave.

"My mom and dad will be worried if I'm not home when they wake up, nyaa..."

"Please..." Oishi asked, as Kikumaru climbed through the window. "Please come back again, Kikumaru-kun..."

The redhead smiled. "Sure! Call me Eiji, though. See you tomorrow, then, Oishi-kun!" He said, waving at him.

"Drop the "kun". Just Oishi."

"Nyaa, okay, Oishi! See you tomorrow!" He said, climbing down the roof and dashing through the lawn and into the streets across from the small hill Oishi's house sat on. The young boy watched as his very first friend disappeared, and back to sleep with a smile on his lips. He couldn't wait to see him again.

--

Eiji kept returning day after day, letting Oishi know how his day had been, and filling him in on the details about where he lived. What Oishi knew came from reading books, but the books lacked a child's perspective on the world. So he listened to Eiji like he had never listened to anyone before. Not that he remembered, at least.

While he was waiting until it was time to go to bed, one day, he asked his parents to go to school. "Why can't I be like everyone else?" He had asked, frustrated.

"Because, Syuuichirou, you're not like everyone else!" His father had screamed, snapping at him. "I've had enough of you asking the same things over and over again! You're not safe out there! End of discussion! Go to your room!"

Oishi snapped as well, tears burning at his eyes. "...I hate you." He said, racing back to his room and throwing himself on the bed, crying, hoping Eiji would arrive soon and tell him everything would be okay. He needed that.

But Eiji didn't come. He didn't come for a few days, and when he did, he explained that he had been sick. Oishi understood, and listened to a few more stories. When winter came, Oishi waited by the window and opened it up for Eiji when he arrived, because since it was cold outside, he didn't let the window open.

They kept their routine for years and years. They grew older, and their subjects changed, but Eiji kept coming every night, except when he was sick, or had to go out of town. Of course, when he did, he always came back with plenty new stories for Oishi. Even when the raven haired was sick, he'd come look after him. And he brought him a present on his birthday too, usually candy.

--

April 30th finally came, and it was Oishi's fifteenth birthday now, and still Eiji was his only friend. They never celebrated birthdays at his home, he just got a quick "happy birthday" from his maid, a big birthday kiss from his mother, and his father would give him a new watch that he pretended to have picked specially for the occasion.

Oishi knew it wasn't true, though. He always gave him a watch, thinking it would be useful for him, not realizing he had given him one already for Christmas and his other birthdays. His father never kept track of the time, he was always distracted. Oishi knew he didn't know him, because he never took time to listen to him. He has a drawer full of watches. But he always wears his newest one, just to keep track of the minutes remaining until Eiji's arrival.

What Oishi hated the most was how his father always pretended he had picked out that specific watch for him. It was the biggest lie he ever heard from him. He never left home, he couldn't pick the watch. He gave the money to their maid and told her to get him a watch. Of course, Oishi always went to thank her for choosing such pretty watch for him. His father didn't know about that, though. It would break his heart.

The night was beautiful, though. The rain that had lasted for days had stopped, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Considering the time of the year, it was pretty warm, with a gentle breeze to it. The first signs of spring and May started showing. The stars shone bright above him and there was even a full moon. Sitting on the roof, waiting on Eiji, it was like looking at a painting. The town was beautiful tonight.

Soon, a red shadow had appeared on the streets below, and suddenly Eiji was dashing through the lawn, waving at him. Oishi helped him to the roof, where he sat down by his side.

"Happy birthday." Eiji said, smiling at him and handing him a neatly wrapped package. "I think you'll like it. Made it myself." He beamed, waiting for Oishi to open the box. He did so to reveal a book. Inside, there were tons of drawings, paintings, postcards and pictures of many different places. "Do you like it?"

"Eiji, I love it!" Oishi stated, staring n wonder at all the beautiful pictures. Even with all of Eiji's stories, he had no idea that it was that what existed beyond his world... He imagined it, yes, but being confronted with it made Oishi suddenly realize all the beauty he was missing.

In the meanwhile, Eiji had offered him another box, one he didn't notice. It was open and had a birthday cake inside, which read "Happy Birthday, Oishi!" "Made this for you too." He said, offering him the cake.

"...Thank you, Eiji." The words were coming from the bottom of his heart. He took a bite out of the chocolate cake. It was delicious! They finished it together while Eiji explained what the different places on the pictures were. He had read stories about them, but they seemed much more fascinating through Eiji's words. "Eiji..." He rose up his head, his face dangerously close to the redhead's.

Oishi wondered how he never realized just how beautiful Eiji was. Everything about him seemed perfect, there, in the pale moon light. His skin seemed to shine, the stars reflected on those gorgeous blue eyes of his, and his hair framed his face beautifully. And his lips, oh, his lips! He wanted to kiss them, feel them, taste them... But he wasn't allowed to. His mind told him it was wrong for a boy to kiss another boy, but his heart kept screaming at him to do it.

In his head, reasons fought against excuses, and he felt lost. Eiji's eyes were partially closed, his mouth slightly open. It took him a while to understand Eiji was staring at his lips too. The night had been perfect; he didn't want to ruin it. But it felt like it was the right thing to do...

He stopped thinking, shutting out both his heart and mind's voices, and closed the gap between them. All he cared about right now was the feeling of Eiji's lips pressed against his own before he kissed him back. His hand tangled on Eiji's hair, while Eiji's was at his waist. With his tongue, he pleaded Eiji for entrance, and the boy opened his mouth, allowing him to explore it with his tongue. His mouth tasted of the cake they had shared.

Eiji moaned, and Oishi touched his face. His skin was so soft under his fingertips... He kept running his hand through red strands of hair, their eyes closed. The moment lasted for eternity and a day, but when they broke their kiss to breathe, eternity had never been more than just a moment. An awkward silence settled between them for a while, and they avoided each other's stare.

"...I'm sorry." Oishi began, still looking away.

"Don't be." Eiji told him. "If you're sorry it's because you think you did something wrong... And... I don't know if this is wrong, but... At least it feels right..." He shifted closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder. "It felt very right."

And Oishi smiled and held Eiji close. "...Yes... Yes, it did."

Being with Eiji wasn't freedom. But it certainly was the next best thing.

--

The months had gone by, and Eiji still kept coming. Ever since that one kiss, their relationship grew. They kissed more often and more passionately. As their relationship grew more physical, they began touching and sharing their bodies, often lying in bed until dawn came to drag Eiji back home. Their clothes had started being tossed around carelessly on the floor until they had to put them back on. Oishi's heart belonged to Eiji now, and he loved him.

And it wonderful listening to him saying how much he loved him back when they slept together.

Eiji first said it out loud one night, between fiery kisses, when his breath was a haze of lust and passion. Oishi had taken longer to say he loved him, but he first said it when they lost their virginity, when they were both a thousand kisses deep. His eyes weren't pure and shiny while looking at Eiji anymore. They still shone, but the purity and innocence had been replaced with love and desire.

He couldn't wait to get out of that prison. He wanted to go out with Eiji and take him dancing, go to his home, or even just taking a walk through the town. The redhead loved their routine, and the fear of being caught suddenly by the raven haired boy's parents, but Oishi felt like he could, and should, give him more than that. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, not locked away.

He dreamed of marrying Eiji and taking him to Paris for their honeymoon. They'd adopt children and raise a family. And he'd be happy, and he'd forget about his past, except for how he met Eiji. It was too much of a utopia to be real, but he never gave up on that dream. They'd be together. And it would be perfect.

--

Soon after, Oishi's sixteenth birthday had come, and he was lying on his bed, with Eiji on top of him, nibbling at his earlobe while his hands explored the skin on his chest and abdomen.

"Let's sneak outside..." Eiji whispered at his ear, making Oishi open his eyes.

"...What?" He breathed out, trying to make out if he was being serious or not.

"Come with me, it'll be fun..." Eiji said, sitting on his lap. "We'll be back before anyone realizes we're missing..." He kissed his lover's lips over and over again, trying to convince him to accept his offer. "I'll show you everything..."

Oishi desperately agreed, gasping at the sensations Eiji made him feel. It was heaven, being with him like that. Finally, after so long, he'd see the world he had been dying to take a look at.

"Come, then." Eiji said, climbing out the window and lending him a hand. "I've got a few places in mind to show you. You'll love them." He said with a smile as they both stood on the roof. Delighted that he had said yes, Eiji pulled Oishi close and kissed him again, his tongue exploring every corner of Oishi's mouth, taking in the sweet scent of peach left behind by Oishi's toothpaste. Or maybe it was his toothpaste... He didn't know anymore. Not after sharing those many kisses. "Let's go."

Eiji made his way to the edge of the roof, inhaling the night air deeply, his eyes closed. Oishi admired the view of his body bathed in moonlight, and was overthrown by his beauty. It fascinated him...

Suddenly, though, the redhead took a step forward and jumped, landing with the grace of a cat two stories below.

"Come on, hurry! We have many places to see, and time is running out!" He said, waving at him, motioning for him to drop down. Oishi repeated Eiji's steps, standing at the very edge of the roof, feeling the wind on his skin. He spread his arms open like wings, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. Then he jumped.

The last thing Oishi saw was Eiji leaning over him, the stars above shining through his eyes and he whispered "I love you"... Then Oishi closed his eyes once more, and let out his last breath.

--

His parents found his body in the morning. It was the first time in years they had left the home. His mother cried over the body of her only child, and his father had found his journal. Oishi had written about a young boy. For years, it was all about the boy.

Yes, being constantly locked inside of his own home did a serious number on his mind. In the end, there was only a lie, conjured by a delusional mind to try to keep the heart sane from so many years of isolation.

In the end, there was no boy.

--

Well, I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it! And I'm sorry for not mentioning character death on the summary, but I wanted it to be unexpected. Reviews are much much welcome. Now I shall go run from the real Eiji who's chasing me because I killed Oishi. ;D


End file.
